Travelling always brings small and big surprises. You can prepare yourself by reading a bunch of guidebooks and consulting Internet sites, the discovery of some sites can sometimes surprise. In Turkey it was the case with the archaeological sites of the Mediterranean coast. While we were expecting well excavated ruins and many explanatory signs, we rather felt we were explorers in visiting the sites where the vegetation had taken over and where information was scarce. However, most sites don’t suffer from mass tourism making them a very pleasant place to have a stroll or a hike.

So put on your explorer hat, we bring you to archaeological sites of different ancient times – from the Lycians to the Romans to the Byzantines to the Ottomans and more.

TermessosA la descente de notre vol vers Antalya, nous nous sommes arrêtés à Termessos, situé à plus de 1 000 m d’altitude. Quelle découverte que ce site datant du 3e siècle avant J-C et habité jusqu’au 5e siècle! Nous nous attendions à une petite balade dans des ruines, mais ce fut plutôt une excursion assez ardue en montagne. Çà et là parmi la végétation on pouvait distinguer les ruines des bâtiments et tombeaux qui composaient cette ville importante. Et clou du spectacle: le théâtre avec son point de vue époustouflant. / After getting off our flight to Antalya, we stopped at Termessos, located more than 1,000 m above sea level. What a find: this site dating from the 3rd century BC was inhabited until the 5th century! We expected a little walk in the ruins, but it was quite a daunting mountain hike. Here and there among the vegetation we could see the ruins of buildings and tombs that made this important city. The highlight of the visit is the theatre with its breathtaking view.

MyraMyra est une ville lycienne connue pour son bel ensemble de tombeaux rupestres et son théâtre en très bon état conservant ses 38 gradins qui pouvaient accueillir près de 8 000 personnes. Elle a existé entre le 5e siècle avant J-C jusqu’au 12e siècle. / Myra was a Lycian city known today for its fine collection of rock tombs and its theatre in very good condition retaining its 38 rows of seats that could accommodate nearly 8,000 people. It existed from the 5th century BC to the 12th century.

Ceci termine nos aventures en Turquie. Un pays qui nous a charmé par la gentillesse de ses habitants, la beauté de ses paysages et la douceur de son climat. / This concludes our adventures in Turkey. A country that has charmed us by the kindness of its people, the beauty of its scenery and its mild climate.